Raymond Macdonald Alden
Encyclopedia
Raymond Macdonald Alden was an American
scholar and educator, born in New Hartford, N. Y.
He studied at Rollins College
in Winter Park, Florida
, and at the University of Pennsylvania
, from which he graduated in 1894. He took post-graduate studies there at Penn and at Harvard
. In 1894-95 he was instructor in English at Columbian (now George Washington) University
; in 1896-97 assistant in English at Harvard; and in 1898-99 senior fellow in English at the University of Pennsylvania. He was chosen to fill the position of assistant professor of English literature and rhetoric
at Leland Stanford, Jr., University
in 1899, then became associate professor there in 1909. He accepted the chair
of English at the University of Illinois
in 1911. He edited several plays of Shakespeare
and other Elizabethan
dramatist
s and in 1910 an edition of Thoreau's
Walden
. Alden also became known as a contributor to educational journals and short stories to magazines. In 1913 he edited an edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets and A Lover's Complaint
. His writings include:
Why the Chimes Rang is the story of a grand old church with beautiful chimes which mysteriously ring out every Christmas Eve
whenever someone places an especially pleasing gift on the altar as an offering, and how a miracle occurs after the chimes have fallen silent for years. The story is a sort of variation on the Jongleur de Notre Dame
and Little Drummer Boy themes.
The Knights of the Silver Shield, is included in Olive Beaupre Miller
's Book House for Children anthology of children's literature. It is a story about how sometimes the resistance of temptation and the simple act of gate-keeping can be an act of valor to rival all others.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
scholar and educator, born in New Hartford, N. Y.
New Hartford, New York
New Hartford, New York may refer to:* New Hartford , New York, in Oneida County* New Hartford , New York, within the town of New Hartford...
He studied at Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
in Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, from which he graduated in 1894. He took post-graduate studies there at Penn and at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. In 1894-95 he was instructor in English at Columbian (now George Washington) University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
; in 1896-97 assistant in English at Harvard; and in 1898-99 senior fellow in English at the University of Pennsylvania. He was chosen to fill the position of assistant professor of English literature and rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
at Leland Stanford, Jr., University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1899, then became associate professor there in 1909. He accepted the chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of English at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
in 1911. He edited several plays of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
and other Elizabethan
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
dramatist
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
s and in 1910 an edition of Thoreau's
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
Walden
Walden
Walden is an American book written by noted Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau...
. Alden also became known as a contributor to educational journals and short stories to magazines. In 1913 he edited an edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets and A Lover's Complaint
A Lover's Complaint
A Lover's Complaint is a narrative poem published as an appendix to the original edition of Shakespeare's sonnets. It is given the title 'A Lover's Complaint' in the book, which was published by Thomas Thorpe in 1609...
. His writings include:
- The Rise of Formal Satire in England (1899)
- The Art of Debate (1900)
- On Seeing an Elizabethan Play (1903)
- Consolatio (1903)
- Knights of the Silver Shield (1906)
- The Great Walled Country (1906)
- An Introduction to Poetry (1909)
- Why the Chimes Rang (1909)
- A Palace Made by Music (1910)
- TennysonAlfred Tennyson, 1st Baron TennysonAlfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language....
, How to Know him (1917) - Critical Essays of the Early Nineteenth Century (1921)
- Shakespeare (1922)
- The Boy Who Found the King (1922)
Why the Chimes Rang is the story of a grand old church with beautiful chimes which mysteriously ring out every Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
whenever someone places an especially pleasing gift on the altar as an offering, and how a miracle occurs after the chimes have fallen silent for years. The story is a sort of variation on the Jongleur de Notre Dame
Le jongleur de Notre Dame
Le Jongleur de Notre Dame is a religious miracle story by the French author Anatole France, published in 1892 and based on an old medieval legend. Similar to the later Christmas carol The Little Drummer Boy, it tells the story of a juggler turned monk who has no gift to offer a statue of the Virgin...
and Little Drummer Boy themes.
The Knights of the Silver Shield, is included in Olive Beaupre Miller
Olive Beaupre Miller
Olive Beaupre Miller was an American author, publisher and editor of children's literature.She received her B.A...
's Book House for Children anthology of children's literature. It is a story about how sometimes the resistance of temptation and the simple act of gate-keeping can be an act of valor to rival all others.